


On a Moonlit Winters Night

by ThatDarnLakeSiren



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Add more later - Freeform, Demon-esh Powers, Depression, Hurt/Comfort, Suicidal Thoughts, minor blood/gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-05-31 08:19:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6462823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatDarnLakeSiren/pseuds/ThatDarnLakeSiren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It really was quite amusing. Watching them all, scrambling away from him as he walked down the street. Their looks of fear, terror, and realization as they screamed or stared, running away as fast as they could when he approached."</p><p>When a demon-eyed teen shows up in Gravity Falls one snowy evening, the townsfolk understandably freaks. Calling up those at the Mystery Shack to handle the problem, they quickly realize that Bills' promise held true . . . just, not in the way they had expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It really was quite amusing. Watching them all, scrambling away from him as he walked down the street. Their looks of fear, terror, and realization as they screamed or stared, running away as fast as they could when he approached.

It also made him sad. It wasn’t his fault that he looked the way he did. He wasn’t trying to scare anyone. A friendly smile, a greeting, a small wave, and they would flee. A few even fainted, and someone else would shout at him to go away whilst they dragged the unconscious person to safety.

It was very amusing to see them run away … at least, that’s what the teen kept telling himself. It made the prickle of pain in his chest go away, just a little. _It’s not your fault,_ he thought to himself, leaning against a building, trying to escape a cold wind. _It’s not your fault you look this way …it’s not your fault that they all hate you…_

He shivered, and tugged the thin coat closer around himself. The sun was going down. The wind was turning bitterly cold. He couldn’t feel his fingers or toes, and his face was growing numb. He glanced down at his feet, past the too-large pair of threadbare jeans. He wasn’t wearing any shoes… .he looked at his hands. No gloves, either … did he get mugged at some point??

 _No matter_ , he thought to himself, glancing around for a bit of shelter. The streets were becoming deserted as the sun fell and the cold increased. He spotted an alleyway nearby and decided to try his luck there. _It’s not THAT cold…_ he shivered fiercely as a bitterly cold wind seemed to blow right through him, chilling his insides.

He started to cross the street, looking up as a pickup truck turned the corner onto it. He shrugged and picked up the pace. He was just stepping into the alley when he heard the truck pull in and park nearby.

Ignoring it, he creeped down the alley on stumbling feet. The place was mostly in shadow, and full of snow. _This wasn’t my best idea …_ he thought absently, tripping over his feet and falling face-first into a particularly large drift. With a sigh, he tried to push himself back up again. _Oh well … not like anyone cares for me anyhow … maybe this is for the better…_

Ceasing his attempts to stand, he instead curled his limbs in closer. Tucked into a ball on his side, he felt the cold seep into him. Letting his eyes flutter closed, he thought he could hear a voice nearby … a concerned one. He ignored it, feeling darkness overtake him.

No one cared about him. Everyone ran … he was no one special. He could just disappear, and no one would even notice or care. Perhaps that was for the better, anyhow. Perhaps … he should just allow himself to vanish forever …

> **.~.-.~.-`-.~.-.~.**

Wendy stared in disbelief as she turned the corner. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. But the calls the Mystery Shack had been receiving didn’t lie, either.

Some kid, dressed in a similar garb to Bill Ciphers’ old attire, wandering around town. Acting like him, even, cackling and laughing as he spooked people and followed them around.

He glanced at her from the middle of the street, but didn’t stop, walking towards an alley. Wendy couldn’t quite see the teens expression from this distance, and in this light, but he seemed unconcerned. She pulled the truck over and watched the teen go into the alley.

He was extremely thin, wearing tattered jeans, a black hoodie with a red brickwork design and a large eye on the hood. What she could see of his hair was a pale yellow-blonde, and she couldn’t see his eyes.

When she could no longer see him, Wendy left the truck and crept towards the entrance of the alley. Peeking around the corner, she watched as he tripped over something, hidden in the snow, and fell flat on his face into a large snowdrift.

She crept a little closer, hoping to catch him by surprise as he struggled to stand again. Something about this didn’t feel right, however. If Bill were truly back, if he had somehow gained a physical form or possessed somebody perhaps … then why wasn’t he wrecking terror on her or the rest of the Pines? Or the town? Why was he merely wandering about in the snow as if he were … lost.

He’d stopped moving. He was curled into a ball in the snow, shivering harshly. Despite everything, Wendy couldn’t help the bubble of concern that arose in her chest. Perhaps this was simply a kid that had gotten possessed, and therefore couldn’t help how he has acted earlier, or how he was currently dressed?

“Hey kid, you alright?” she called, her concern leaking into her voice.

No response. Something was _very wrong_. Wendy darted forward, dropping to her knees beside the teen and looking him over.

His lips were blue, and he was still shivering violently. He appeared to be unconscious, heartbeat slow when she checked his pulse. He looked human in every way …

With a quiet curse, Wendy pulled off her coat and wrapped it around the teen, scooping him up and hurrying back to her truck. Setting him in the passenger seat and buckling him in, she climbed in herself and went as fast as she dared on the icy roads, heading for the Shack.

She glanced at the teen once as they went. He seemed to be doing only a little better, but he was dangerously underweight. It had been like carrying a pillow when she’d carried him to the truck.

“Don’t worry, man.” she muttered aloud. “Don’t know what Bill did to you, but we can help. Just hang in there.”


	2. Hot Cocoa and Demon Eyes

Soos set the mug in front of the teen with a flourish, “Bam! Hot chocolate.” he declared, taking a seat across from him.

The teen glanced up at him with mismatched eyes; one was a deep gold, the other bloody crimson. It was only the iris in each eye that was colored supernaturally; the rest was like any other humans’, as far as Soos could tell. It was unnerving, to say the least, but not very threatening.

Muttering a quiet “Thank you…” the teen pulled the mug closer and took a sip. He was still in the borrowed pajama’s, curled up within a quilt at the kitchen table. It was late; nearly three in the morning.

His voice wasn’t anything like Bills’. He sounded like a human; like a teenager, to be more precise. A teenage boy that was somewhere smack in the middle of puberty, making his voice crack on occasion.

They’d all taken turns throughout the night since Wendy had brought him in, keeping an eye on him until he woke up. And while he had been startled by the unusual eye color, the teen hadn’t seemed threatening to the man-child. Soos had to help him walk down here; he’d still felt cold, and was too skinny to possibly be healthy. He couldn’t look at the kid and see the demon that had nearly killed them at all. 

“So, what’s your name, dude?” Soos asked, leaning on the table a little.

The teen looked up at him, before shrugging, expression desolate. 

“Don’t remember?” Soos asked, trying to help.

The teen shook his head no. “Don’t have one.” he replied bitterly.

“Oh… well, that won’t do. How about I help ya come up with one then, dude?”  the handyman offered.

The teen looked up at him, thinking over the offer and trying to hide how surprised he was. “Okay…” he said hesitantly.

“Alright then! Let me see,” Soos held a hand out in front of himself, ticking off names in his head. “How about … Nathan!” 

The teen shook his head no, pulling the mug closer, bony hands seeking out the warmth.

“Alright … Chris!” Soos tried again.

Another no.

“Jeremy?”

No again.

“Oh! How about Will?” Soos smiled encouragingly at the teen.

The teen looked up at him, muttering the name under his breath, trying it. He nodded.

“Alright! Will it is!” Soos cheered quietly.

The newly named Will managed a weak smile at the mans enthusiasm, taking a gulp of his hot cocoa. “So … who are you?” he asked, a trace of interest in his voice.

“Just call me Soos, dude.” Soos replied, chuckling a little. “So, may I ask why you were wandering around town, freaking folks out?” Soos gestured a little, “It’s just, you seem like a pretty chill dude, so …” he waved a hand for Will to pick up from there.

Will grimaced and looked down at his mug. “I wasn’t trying to freak anyone out. I woke up in the forest, in the snow, and went walking around town. I … thought I was being friendly, but everyone … ran away from me.” he huddled in on himself, nearly drowning in the quilt.

Soos frowned sympathetically. “Ah, that’s tough, man.” he reached out and nudged the teens shoulder. “Don’t worry! You’re with the Mystery Crew now! We’ll help you out, no worries there.”

Will;s mouth quirked upright into a small smile, and he laughed a little. “Alright then, if you say so, Soos.” he was hopeful, and finally cheering up.

“Come on dude, I’ll fix you something to eat. You’re … “ he hesitated, seeing Wills’ confused look. “…well, heh, a little on the thin side. It’s not healthy, dude.”

“Oh…” Will shrugged. “I woke up like this…”

“Not saying it’s your fault, dude. But that’s part of how we’ere gonna help; make sure you get something to eat.” Soos smiled at the teen.

Will smiled just a little back.

* * *

##  **_“REMEMBER!!! RealityIsHowYouPerceiveIt, TheUniverseIsAMyth, CacheLiquidFire, BYYYYEEEE!!”_ **

* * *

Ford blinked in surprise at what he saw before him. He’d woken up at the crack of dawn, as per usual, and had been fully prepared to take his turn looking after the unconscious teen.

However, the teen was apparently awake already. He and Soos were in the living room, a movie playing across the old television, both chatting pretty amiably with one another and commenting on the movie.

The teen was situated in Stan’s armchair, wrapped in a quilt, with a plate of bacon and eggs in his lap. He was eating absently at it, more interested in the movie that was playing than putting food into his starving body.

“Oh, hey Mr. Pines!” Soos greeted him, lifting one hand in a wave.

The teen turned his head, a welcoming smile on his face. “Oh, hello.” he greeted.

It was the eyes that caught Fords’ attention however; one gold, one crimson, and both unnatural. It sparked recollections that he’d have preferred to leave behind him …

**_Waking up with no recollection of how he’d ended up getting forks and pens jabbed into his limbs.  
_ **

**_Blue chains wrapped around his limbs and throat, sparking with electricity.  
_ **

**_A dream forewarning him to watch his step, fire swirling around him in a hazy field of wheat and memory.  
_ **

**_His brothers face, gazing back at him but blankly, not remembering-_ **

He scowled, shaking the memories away. He waved for Soos to come into the other room.

Soos frowned, but stood, smiling at the teen as he said, “Don’t worry, be right back.”

When the two were out in the hall, Ford demanded, “Why didn’t you get me or my brother?”

“Huh? What for?” the man-child asked, confused.

“His _eyes_ , Soos.” Ford elaborated, frustrated and increasingly nervous; though he hid the last one well. “All the reports we got agreed that Cipher was back in a human form, and on his appearance. _Including_ his eyes.”

Soos frowned. “With all due respect, sir, but Will is just … a teen. He was just looking for some help in town, and everyone ran. He’s…actually pretty upset about that. I told him we’d help.”

“He’s calling himself Will?” Ford crossed his arms over his chest.

“Well, he couldn’t remember his name, so I suggested a bunch. He chose ‘Will’.” Soos replied honestly.

Ford sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Has he said anything that might hint at his plans?”

“Er, no.” Soos shrugged. “He told me he woke up in the forest, and went into town. He doesn’t remember anything beyond that. and waking up here, of course.”

Ford rubbed at his eyes beneath his glasses. “Fine, then. We’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t get into any sort of trouble. I’m not sure what he’d do if he remembered anything…” he grimaced, but turned towards the kitchen.

If he was going to properly assess what they’d just gotten themselves into, and formulate a plan to get them out, he needed coffee.


	3. Brownie and Red

Will looked up when he heard the quiet squeal of delight. He took in the girl standing in the doorway to the spare bedroom, brown haired and brown eyed. She wore a purple skirt and a bright green sweater, a large bit of dark green holly leaves and bright red berries adorning the front. Her earrings looked like little bunches of holly, and she had a bow with a clump of holly in her hair.

She was grinning, her mouth full of braces and eyes twinkling in excitement. She met his eyes, and her smile dropped into a frown, brows furrowing as she thought.

_Here it comes,_ Will thought, breaking eye contact and looking down at his lap. _She’s gonna scream and run away now. Just like most everyone else._

He yelped in surprise when the brown-haired rugrat suddenly tackled him, wrapping her arms around his skinny frame. “Ah, please don’t be sad!” she begged, burying her face into his chest as she clambered up onto the bed. 

Will blinked down at her, stunned. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to respond to this. Did she … actually _like_ him? Despite how everyone else had reacted to … whatever it was that scared everyone else?

“I know!” she drew herself back, and, before he could properly react, pulled something from her pocket and slapped it against his face.

“Owch!” he yelped, rubbing at his cheek. She’d put something on his him, but he was honestly more surprised than pained. “What the heck _was_ that?” he demanded, more annoyed than actually angry.

“A sticker that says 'Your Awwww-some!’, with a puppy on it!” she exclaimed, before snuggling back up to his chest again. “You looked like you needed some cheering up … and since it’s only a week from Christmas Eve, NO ONE should be sad!”

Will blinked down at her, a bit touched by the sentiment. Smiling, just a little, he wrapped his arms around her in return.

“Hey.”

Will looked up, taking in the new figure - tall, green-eyed redhead, white and blue cap with a pine tree, green plaid coat, jeans, muddy boots - just before the flash from her cellphone camera blinded him a moment.

“Woah! Your eyes … _huh_. Pretty cool.” 

Blinking the spots from his eyes, Will looked on as the redhead walked over. He grunted in pain as the brown-haired girl shifted on his lap, her elbow jabbing into his stomach. Gripping her under the armpits and moving her onto the bed, he scootched over a little so as to make sure she wouldn’t slip off the edge.

“Careful, Brownie, that kinda hurts.” he said quietly.

“Brownie?” the girl tilted her head at him, conflicting emotions swimming in her eyes. Apprehension, worry, fear … hope, determination, and a forced sort of cheerfulness.

“Brown eyes, brown hair … plus I don’t know your name.” Will replies, gesturing at the mentioned features with a bony hand.

“Oh!” she brightened up immediately, her emotions settling on the positive side. “My name is Mabel. You’re Will, right?”

Will nodded and glanced at the redhead. “So what about you, Red?” he asked, half joking. “Ya got a name, or would a nickie be alright?” _She’s gonna run now … or maybe slug me in the chest, like that one guy who snuck up on me … seems like the type to do it. Either way …_

The redhead rolled her eyes while Mabel giggled. “The names Wendy.” she held out her hand to shake. “Wendy Corduroy.” 

Will shook it, a small bubble of timid hope rising in him. Perhaps … perhaps they actually like him? Both of them? Them and Soos … maybe he could be their friends? Maybe … he’d have to wait and see.

He yawned at the end of these thoughts, burrowing back into his nest of blankets. He only half-hoped that they would leave. He honestly enjoyed the company, and friendly talk - it was rather encouraging after having half a towns worth of people scream and run at the sight of you whilst trying to be friendly - but at the same time … he was _tired_.

“Come’on, Mabel. The guy needs some rest.” Wendy said, followed by the bed creaking as the younger girl clambered off.

The light turned off and the door creaked as they closed it. “G’night, Will.” Mabel called.

Will returned sleepily with, “Night, Brownie…” 

Giggles, and the door clicked shut. He didn’t bother fighting against the darkness that clung to him. It was warm and soft, rather than cold and numb. He drifted off to sleep with a smile.

* * *

##  **_“REMEMBER!!! RealityIsHowYouPerceiveIt, TheUniverseIsAMyth, CacheLiquidFire, BYYYYEEEE!!”_ **

* * *

Wendy watched Mabel scamper off, leaning against the closed door as Stanley walked over. There was an aggravated scowl on his face.

“Sup, Mr. Pines.” Wendy greeted nonchalantly. 

“So? How is our … _guest_.” it was clear that he wanted to say something that was less-than-kid-friendly.

“Well, he’s asleep now. He gave me and Mabel nicknames.” Wendy shrugged, glancing to the side. “He seems alright.”

“Nicknames?!” Stanley demanded angrily. “The little f-!?”

Wendy pushed away from the door and slapped a hand over his mouth. “Shut it,” she hissed. “We don’t want to wake him up.” she removed her hand slowly, and when it was clear her former boss wasn’t about to start yelling again, she leaned back against the door.

“Nicknames?” he asked again, a little more subdued, if disgruntled, reigning in his anger.

“Yup.” she popped the ‘p’. “He didn’t know our names yet, calling Mabel ‘Brownie’, cause her hair and eyes, and me ‘Red’. We told him our names, though.”

Stan frowned as he thought over this before looking back up at Wendy. “No signs of suspicious behavior? None at all?”

“Nope.” Wendy replied, staying where she was. “Mr. Pines, think about this. When you and Ford first checked him over, you both agreed that he was human. No signs of crazy demon magic, and all signs of being extremely underfed and having hypothermia. He hasn’t recognized any of us, so has apparently lost all his memories of everything that happened before. Give him a chance.”

Stanley scowled at this, but left the subject alone for now. “Fine.” he grunts, starting to walk away. “The first sign that he’s dangerous,” he threw over his shoulder, “And I’m gonna punch him in the face.”

Wendy sighed, shaking her head. She could tell that this was gonna be an uphill battle. Both of the Stans seemed sure that Cipher was Will; which, technically, could be true. She’d hiked out into the woods that very day, and couldn’t find Bills’ statue anywhere. She’d even talked with some of the local paranormal residents, and they’d confirmed that Will had appeared and Bills’ statue disappeared around the same time yesterday.

On one hand, this could be a huge, elaborate act on Ciphers’ part to get their guards down so he could wreck havoc again. Both Stans were inclined to agree with, and kept glaring at the teen and making plans to stop him when Will wasn’t looking, and when he wasn’t in the room.

On the other hand, though; he hadn’t tried to hurt anyone. He didn’t recognize her, or Soos, or Mabel. He knew what things were, but hadn’t known where he was until they told him.

Memories made a person who they were. Without any memories from his past, Will was left with a blank slate to work with. Couldn’t they give him a chance? 


	4. Bloody Noses and Blue Fire

“Dipper, could you go wake up Will? Breakfast is nearly done.” Soos asked, flipping another pancake onto the platter behind him without looking.

Spattered applause throughout the kitchen, and a cry of “ _NICE_!” from Wendy.

Dipper nodded and stood, flashing a smile the handymans’ way. “No problem, man.” He made his way up the stairs and down the hall to their guests room, knocking on the door a few times.

“Hey man! Wake up, foods’ ready!” he called.

“… hmph … go’way …” came the muffled, sleepy reply.

Dipper rolled his eyes and opened the door, eyeing the lump of blankets on the bed. He nudged at where he thought Will’s shoulder was at as he said, “Will, it’s time to get up.”

The teen curled up tighter, before peeking out with a sleepy yawn. “… who’re you …?” he mumbled, words slurred by sleep.

Dipper froze, brown eyes widening as his heart tried to scramble out of his chest.

Bloody crimson and unnatural gold eyes stared back at him in annoyance. They brought back memories that Dipper had tried his hardest to bury and forget, things that made up many of his nightmares for months.

**EENIE …**

_The Pine Tree symbol glowed within his one huge eye, as he struggled to free himself and his sister._

**MEENIE …**

_Next the Shooting Star one, as Mabel turned towards him with a terrified expression, squeezing his hand tightly before both went back to beating against their captors grip._

**MINIE…**

_Pine Tree again, as Dipper even tried biting Bill, to no effect. Which didn’t stop him or Mabel from struggling as hard as they could, defiant to the last._

**_YOU!!_ **

_Shooting Star …_

Arms wrapping around him, pulling him close, broke him from the flashback. “Hey kid, you alright-?!”

Panicking, Dipper screamed and swung his fist as hard as he could into the others face. He scrambled away, ignoring the surprised and pained shout, getting through the door and slamming it shut behind him.

“Oh my god …” he muttered, bending over himself, hugging his middle. “ _Oh my god_ …”

“DIPPER!!” Mabel was suddenly there, hugging him tight, trying to calm him down - he was hyperventilating, since when had he . . ? - and then Ford, and Wendy.

“Dude! Dipper, what happened?” Wendy crouched in front of him, a hand on his shoulder. “Just breathe dude, your safe. Calm down.”

“Are you okay, Dipper?” Ford chimed in, glancing at the door with an agitated expression before looking back down at his great-nephew with concern.

“It … it’s Bill!” he finally got out, gesturing wildly at the door. “H-he gr-grabbed at me and-”

“It’s alright now Dipper, you’re safe now.” Ford assured him coldly, shoving the door open and marching right up to the teen.

Will was sitting up, still partially cocooned in the many blankets. He was currently dabbing at his bloody nose with one, wincing as he tried to figure out how to get the bleeding to stop. He looked up at Ford apathetically, gold and crimson eyes dull and void of emotion.

Grabbing him by the front of his shirt and pulling him close, Ford growled lowly, “What the fuck did you do to my great-nephew?”

Will blinked slowly at him, before saying, “Tried to hug him.” It was listless, despondent.

“What?” that through him for a loop. Before he could say anything else, Wendy and Soos rushed in, separating the two and keeping them apart.

“Woah dude! you alright?” Soos asked, gently helping Will off the bed.

“Yeah, m’fine.” he muttered, eyes going to the doorway, where Dipper and Mabel watched on. “Brownie’s doppleganger can really punch.”

“Come’on dude, let’s get you cleaned up.” Soos encouraged, leading him past Wendy and Ford, and out the door.

Dipper shied away from Will, turning tail and gunning it down the hall. Mabel followed after her twin in concern.

Wendy remained in the bedroom with Ford, glowering at him. “ _The fuck_ , man.”

“He attacked Dipper!” Ford defended himself, arms folding reflexively behind his back. “We’re to keep an eye on him, and if he does anything to threaten us, we need to take care of it!”

Wendy glared at him. “It would seem to me that Dipper overreacted and attacked Will instead.” she stated icily, turning and walking out the door.

* * *

##  **_“REMEMBER!!! RealityIsHowYouPerceiveIt, TheUniverseIsAMyth, CacheLiquidFire, BYYYYEEEE!!”_ **

* * *

The teen watched silently as Mabel fell backwards into the snow, moving her arms and legs to create a snow angel. She giggled and looked up at him as he walked a little closer.

“Will, could you help me up?” she asked, raising both hands.

With a sigh, Will leaned forward and grasped her hands in his bonier ones, leaning back with a grunt, pulling her up with him. He pulled too hard and too fast, however; he lost his balance and fell back in the snow, Mabel landing on top of him.

Wendy chuckled as she walked over, hauling Mabel off of Will. “Need help?” she offered her hand to him.

He took it, and she easily pulled him upright again. Will brushed the snow from the borrowed clothes and watched impassively as Mabel leaned over her snow angel, drawing a smiley face on it.

“What’s the point of this? We’re playing in the white version of death.” he demanded halfheartedly.

“Snow isn’t death!” Mabel looked up at him with a disapproving scowl, waving her finger. “It’s pretty, and fun, and-”

“I don’t care!” Will snapped at her, rubbing his arms. He turned his back on the both of them and walked back towards the house.

Wendy frowned, then smirked, reaching down and scooping up a hand full of soft whiteness. Shaping it into a ball, she aimed and threw it at the teen.

It smacked him in the head, scattering whiteness over his hood. He froze, then turned, looking from one girl to the other. His expression was wide-eyed, a perfect example of the “deer-in-the-headlights” look. After a long moment of no change in expression, Mabel scurried over and wrapped her arms around him, as high as she could reach.

He flinched, broken out of it, and looked down at her. He returned the hug, muttering under his breath.

“Hey man, you okay?” Wendy asked, walking nearer. “It was just a snowball. Didn’t mean nothing by it.” she continued apologetically at his silence.

Will muttered to himself again, hands clenching into fists. “Why do you pretend to like me?” he finally asked.

Mabel gasped and looked up at him, brown eyes wounded and sad. “We’re not! I like you!” she declared, hugging him tighter.

Wendy frowned, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Dude, we just want to help. Me and Soos and Mabel; the others just need some time to get used to you, that’s all.”

Will grimaced, drawing back from both of them, gently trying to untangle Mabel from him, without any success.

“Yeah right.” he muttered, turning his head to the side to glare at the snow. “A whole towns’ worth of people scream and run, and suddenly you two like me … _the fuck why_?!” he shoved Mabel off of him, gesturing wildly as he backed away.

“I didn’t do anything wrong! And they all seem to hate me!”

Angry, confused tears sprung into eyes that were quickly growing slitted, and pencil-thin.

“I just wanted to say hello, maybe get some help!!”

Teeth sharpening, gnashing together as he clamped his jaw shut and rubbed at his eyes.

Wendy grabbed Mabels’ arm and pulled her away warily, not sure what to expect.

“I-I …” he seemed to deflate for a long moment, before locking his slitted gaze onto the pair.

“Why the hell does _everyone_ think _that I’M A **BAD GUY**_?!”

Blue flames sparked to life around his clenched fists. They didn’t appear to burn him, and he looked absolutely furious.

Mabel froze in fear, and Wendy shoved the smaller girl behind her, axe in hand, determined to protect her if Will tried anything.

Will glowered at her, awaiting his answers when he seemed to notice his hands. His eyes widened in shock, and his jaw dropped. He raised them in front of his face, and fear immediately overtook him.

He _screamed_.


	5. As Intricate and Delicate as a Snowflake

Will stared at his hands, eyes wide as dinner plates. His hands were on fire. They were on fucking _fire_. How the hell was that even possible?! Why wasn’t he getting burned? Why didn’t he feel _any_ heat, for that matter? His hands had been cold before, but now … they were absolutely _freezing_.

* * *

Someone was screaming. It had been background noise to his ears until now. White noise to the swirling thoughts in his head. He was angry, and confused. Now, he was scared … still confused, but scared, very, very scared.

Moments after he made the realization, the fire vanished. Just … vanished. No smoke, no ash or soot. His hands seemed to be okay, outside of being cold. The scream died on his lips, and he slowly came back to reality, piece by piece, as he wheezed for breath, throat sore. He tucked his arms around himself, slowly getting his breath back, scrambling to figure out what the _heck_ had just happened.

 _… my teeth ache, dammit._ He groaned quietly as they seemed to shift and reshape themselves in his mouth, before settling. He rubbed at his jaw, hoping to soothe the lingering wisps of pain. Everything was all blurry, dammit. He rubbed at his eyes and looked around again. Still blurry. _Dammit_.

 _What the-?!_ he looked down at the blurred image of Brownie One, hugging him as tight as she could. He tried to get out a quiet warning not to hug too hard, since he was still out of breath, but he wasn’t sure if the message got through. He did return the hug, however - no need to hurt her feelings - and tried to remain upright.

A firm hand on his shoulder got him to look up. He thought it was Red - it had to be Red, no one else was around that didn’t try to manhandle him every time they met - but black spots were dancing in front of his eyes. Darkness quickly swept him away.

He barely hoped that it would recede again.

* * *

When he had heard the scream, he’d dropped everything. Yanking on his coat, hurtling out the door, dashing around the side of the house. He skids to a halt once he saw what was happening, and sucked in a sharp breath.

It was the teenager. His hands were encased in blue flames, and he was staring at them with eyes that were now slitted, mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, clearly visible as he screamed.

And didn’t stop screaming. It was a long, unending wail of terror and panic. 

Wendy stood, her axe out, Mabel behind her, in a defensive position. They were about fifteen-twenty feet away from the demonic teenager, and none looked like they were going to budge anytime soon.

Ford cursed under his breath, drew out his energy-gun, and quietly approached the girls.

“What happened?” he demanded lowly, eyeing the teen.

“He was getting really upset … accused Mabel, Soos and I of only pretending to be his friend, after how everyone else in town reacted.” Wendy begins, eyes stuck on Will. “And then, as he’s going on, his pupils narrowed, teeth sharpened, and his hands caught flame … “

“… he wanted to know why he’s treated like the bad guy.” Mabel said quietly, hiding behind Wendy still.

“… and now?” Ford prompted.

Will hadn’t stopped. It seemed impossible that anyone could scream for so long. The teen didn’t even seem to have realized that Ford had appeared.

“Well … he glared at us for about five seconds, saw his hands were on fire–” Wendy gestured at Will, “–and started screaming.”

Ford nodded, frowning as he put it all together. Maybe … this wasn’t Bill Cipher, somehow waltzing around as a human, trying to trick them? Perhaps he’d made a mistake? The emotion on his face and in his unending wail didn’t just _appear_ genuine, it _felt_ genuine; in a way that Bill had never been able to fake so perfectly. There could be another explanation, one he or the others hadn’t come up … with … yet.

Will had stopped screaming. The flames had gone out. The teen stared at his hands, wheezing for breath.

None of them moved, waiting, breaths held.

Will tucked his arms around his chest, still wheezing. A breathy noise that sounded something like a groan, and the teen rubbed at his jaw. He rubbed at his eyes next, blinking profusely.

A blur of brown hair and silver yarn, Mabel practically tackled Will as she hugged him tight. Will wheezed out something that scarcely resembled words as he slowly moved to hug her back.

Ford moved, Wendy on his heels, towards the two. Will was swaying somewhat, still struggling to get back the air he’d lost.

He hesitated, then put one six-fingered-hand on the teens shoulder.

Will looked up, blinking woozily at him. His pupils were still slitted, but widening; loosing it’s harsh look as they returned, slowly, to normal.

Ford caught the teen the next moment as his eyes fluttered shut and knees buckled.

Mabel yelped in surprise, and Wendy asked, “Dude, you alright?!” 

Will didn’t reply. He’d fallen unconscious.

Ford bit his lip, then lifted the teen in his arms, bridal style. _Christ! He’s so light … has he even been eating anything?_ Ford looked down at the pale face, then turned back towards the house with a grunt.

“Come on, let’s get him inside. Then we can figure out what happened.” he muttered gruffly.

Wendy and Mabel followed after him. Mabel was smiling a little at him. A smile she usually reserved for when she was up to something, or had scored some minuscule victory.

Ford pretended not to notice. And he couldn’t help the small, small bit of concern that had wormed it’s way into his chest for the teen.

* * *

Fiddleford was the mechanic for the Mystery Crew. 

No, he was the Mechanic OF the Mystery Crew. Ford and Stanley were gone for months at a time, and the girls and Soos needed certain supplies or repairs done, and he was the only one with the level of expertise and “mad scientist mind” to build some of the crazy contraptions that were required.

And outside of that, he’d created the plans for the Mystery-Shack-Attack-Robot during Weirdmageddon.

He knew much less, in comparison, about magic and other such things. Which is why he was understandably perplexed when Stanford gave him a call requesting backup for some supernaturally-enhanced adolescent boy.

But, he agreed to go down to be some form of backup, and now; here he was.

He knocked on the door and stepped back as it was flung open. “Oh, Fiddleford, you’re here.” Ford stepped back and gestured for him to follow. “Come in, come in.”

Fiddleford closed the door behind him, waving and smiling at some of the others that were milling around the Shack; Soos, Wendy, and Mabel talking hushed tones in the living room, Stanley grumbling as he went about making dinner, Dipper thumbing through a notebook in the armchair.

“So, what do ya need mah help fer ag’in, Stanford?” he asks. “Yuh mentioned uh boy with sum’ sort’a fire-ability?” he gestured slightly as he spoke, trying to prompt the man to answer.

“Well … it’s a bit more than that.” Ford replies hesitantly, leading the way upstairs. H went on to describe how the teen had appeared in town some days ago now, causing quite a stir amongst the townsfolk. Fidds had already been aware that the teen was staying at the Shack, but not of what had happened just the other day.

He remained silent for a long moment as he worked through the given information. “So yuh believe that this teen, Will, maht be sum sort’a… . by’product, of Cipher’s remainin’ essence? Or sum’thin’? An’ that’s why he went a little nuts yest’rday?”

Ford nods. “More or less, that sums it up.” a heavy pause, before he says, “Wendy and Mabel believe it was because he became so overwhelmed by emotional stimuli that his powers activated.”

Fiddleford only nods again, mulling over this information as Ford opened the door to the teens room. A chill immediately overtook him, leaving him and Stanford shivering. There was no supernatural cause. The window had been shoved open, allowing the freezing air entry to the this little section of the house.

The bed was empty. There was a pile of borrowed clothes on the bed, and the ones whose description marked them as the teens had vanished from the dresser.

The two elderly researchers-slash-scientists shared a glance and rushed to the window as one. They peered down at the snow below, Fiddleford, at least, horrified that they wree about to see a battered, broken body in the snow two stories beneath the sill.

He was not there. A depression in the snow, and a trail of footsteps leading off towards the woods.

Will was gone.


	6. Snowbound Beasts

“Will is gone!” Ford cried out, hurrying down the stairs and bursting into the living room, having left Fiddleford behind.

“What do you mean he’s gone?!” Wendy demands, worry coursing through her.

“Yeah, h-he couldn’t have snuck down the stairs!! We would’ve caught him!” Dipper chimes in anxiously.

“He jumped out the window. We could see his tracks leading into the woods. But we need to hurry!” Ford explains swiftly, moving to get his heavy coat, then some supplies.

“He did what?!” Mabel exclaimed, sharing a horrified, concerned glance with Soos.

“Dude! We put him up in the second-story guest bedroom!” Soos had partially covered his face with his hands.

He never thought that Will might try anything like that. And in part, it had been his idea to put him up there, where he’d have his own space. So it was, therefore and at least partially, his own fault . . .

“What’s with all the shoutin’?” Stanley asks, striding into the living room, just as his twin returned with a bulging backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Will seems t' have left, Stanley Pines." Fiddleford was coming down the stairs, having been slower than Ford. His tone was reproachful. He held a sheet of paper in his hand. "This is yer doin', ain't it?" he flipped it over to reveal what it said in large, bold red letter. A much smaller black scrawl of a word had been added to the corner, different from Stanley's handwriting.

"Dude, that is _not_ okay!"

"Grunkle Stan, _how could you_?!"

"Oh _man_ , no wonder he ran away!"

"W-what could he gain from leaving, though?"

Wendy, Mabel, Soos, and Dipper all spoke at once, but the message was clear.

Stanley threw his hands into the air. "It's Bill," he ground out stubbornly. "The da- _darn_ triangle deserves what he got. He's _dangerous_."

"Stanley," Ford reentered the room, catching the tail-end of the conversation. "I've began to believe that it isn't Bill at all. The demons' little remaining, scattered power probably coalesced into Will, wiping out his memory and giving him some . . . supernatural abilities."

"S-supernatural abilities?" Dipper stutters, looking between the elder Pines twins. "L-like what?"

"Blue fire around his hands, teeth that can go all pointy and sharp, pupils going slitted and back." Wendy listed off her fingers, shrugging at Fords' sharp glance and Dipper's immediately horrified look. "He was as freaked out as we were. Spent the whole time screaming his head off."

A sharp gust of freezing air, and the door slammed shut. 

Dipper was at the door in moments, crying out, "Mabel, _WAIT_!!"

"Dipper, stop! We have to prepare for this properly!" Ford shouted.

All the rest of them scrambled to stop him, but for naught.

Dipper had already gotten out the door and was halfway to the woods, frantic to find his sister before something else did.

* * *

**_"REMEMBER!!! RealityIsHowYouPerceiveIt, TheUniverseIsAMyth, CacheLiquidFire, BYYYYEEEE!!”_ **

* * *

 

Cold. He was so cold. Wrapping his arms around himself, Dipper silently scolded himself for running off into the woods like that without grabbing his coat. But, Mabel! She'd just ran out here, without any sort of weapon! It was a lazy day, almost dinnertime (weapons at the table were banned because. . .reasons), she had nothing to defend herself with!

A gust of freezing air threw snow into his face, almost mocking his ill-preparedness. A snowstorm had started, twilight was setting in, and he was completely lost and without any sort of real protection against this cold. But he couldn't stop now. If he did, he was afraid he'd never be able to get up again.

Teeth chattering, rubbing his arms, he stumbled on. The snow was getting thicker. And the wind . . . had suddenly eased up a bit? Dipper looked around, taking note of the pattern and types of trees, boulders, and a tiny stream winding it's way through the brush nearby. He remembered this place, but in the high heat of summer. A cave was nearby!

Hurrying on, Dipper started to notice more and more signs of the cave. Finally finding the entrance, he ducked inside gratefully. At least he had some shelter now. He couldn't quite recall how he'd learnt of this cave, though. Something from the original journals . . .

A deep, rough _whushing_  stopped him dead in his tracks. Slowly, very slowly, the boy turned towards the sound as it came again, to his right. He suddenly remembered why he knew this cave, and it's association within the journals. Taking an unconscious step back, Dipper jumped when he heard the sharp _crack_ of a branch under his foot.

The sound cut off abruptly. Glowing, angry eyes appeared in the darkness. A sleepy snarl rumbled and echoed through the cave.

Dipper felt frozen in place, terrified. The eyes narrowed in recognition and rage, and rose up, up, up, coming closer, a truly menacing, angry snarl erupting from the previously sleeping creature. It stepped into the faint light coming in the cave entrance, towering over the brunette, swiping at him with a vengeful growl. With a fearful (and totally MANLY) cry, Dipper fled the cave, hurling himself blindly into the woods.

"Oh man oh man OH MAN!!" he got out, scrambling to get some trees between him and the enraged Gremoblin chasing after him. Fortunately for him, the creature was still a little slow and lethargic after having been awoken so suddenly from it's hibernation.

Dipper wouldn't have been able to tell. It was still so fast, but the snow seemed to hamper it, at least a little. Slipping and skidding across a frozen pond that had been hidden beneath a thinner layer of snow, he scrambled back to shore and hurried around the edge, hugging the treeline. He froze when the Gremoblin burst through the trees, growling in annoyance as it sniffed the air. 

It looked back and forth, then ambled away from Dipper, searching for him. As quietly as he could, Dipper turned and ran the other way. Only to immediately trip over something hidden in a forming snowdrift and face plant in the snow. Twisting around, Dipper was about ready to scuttle back on all fours crab-walk style.

It wasn't a log, or a stump he'd tripped ovdr It was solid, but far softer than wood or rock. More like something alive. 

A soft grunt came from the pile before Dipper could puzzle out whether he'd added to the danger list.

And, like a phantom, Will rose from the drift, ignorant of snow as he rubbed his cheek. It was quickly becoming bruised. The teenager was deathly pale, his lips blue and mismatched eyes dull with pain and the cold. He was shivering pretty badly, but didn't seem to care about the snow coating his body.

"St-still out t-t-to g-get m-m-me, th-then?" his teeth were chattering harshly from the cold. His tone suggested that he'd expected to be found and attacked, yet he seemed equally surprised.

Dipper could only stare, feeling his mind go blank and body go numb. He couldn't move from where he was in the snow, paralyzed by the emotionless mixmatched eyes and the awful memories they drug up of the last week of summer.

Will held his gaze for a long moment, before a bellowing roar shook the snow from the trees all around them. At Dippers' terrified look in the direction of the monster, Will frowned. "Wh-wha-?!" Turning, he caught a glimpse of the monster as it came charging towards them before scrambling clumsily to his feet, running from the beast.

Dipper felt the numbness slowly leaving, replaced instead by his legs giving out when he tried to stand and his arms refusing to work. "Come on, MOVE!! Move, move, move!!" he tried frantically to get up, to move his head towards the Gremoblin. He would've settled for even being able to twitch one of his fingers! The only thing he could control were his eyes and mouth.

"Oh, f-f- _fu_ -!?" the stuttered half-done curse came nearby, just before Will was suddenly looming over him, grabbing him roughly from the ground before running again.

"H-HEY!! Put me _DOWN_!!" Dipper shouted, trying to get his limbs to obey his commands so he could struggle and free himself. 

Will ignored him and pulled him closer, getting a more secure grasp on him before swerving sharply to the right, skittering out of the monsters path. "Y-you c-c-can't m-move, c-c-can y-you?" he got out. Wills' gait suggested that he'd hurt one of his legs when he fleed the Shack. He kept canting sharply downward on his right side before straightening.

Dipper grit his teeth and looked away from Wills' face, glaring at the snow instead. He didn't trust Cipher as far as he could throw him! Which wasn't at all, given how he couldn't even move as of now.

A soft grunt above him the same time Will tightened his grip again to nearly bruising. He skittered around a large boulder, dropping into a crouch on the far side with a pained grunt. Will held his breath, still holding Dipper tightly as the monster stomped around nearby. "Th-thought s-s-s-so. I-I'm s-s-s-saving you r-right n-now. F-for Brownie. Sh-she tr-truly c-cares for ya. Unlike m-me . . ." 

Dipper looked up at his face, catching the fleeting look of sadness and betrayed hurt. It was there and gone so fast, he wasn't completely sure he'd even seen it. But what he saw now was pure, distilled determination edged with anger.

" . . . n-not t-t-talkin' t-t' m-me? Or c-can't?" Will asked, hurrying on before Dipper could even reply. "D-doesn't m-matter. L-l-listen; I-I c-can't r-run any f-further w-while c-c-carrying y-you. H-hurt m-my l-leg. S-so I-I-I'm-!?"

The boulder he'd been hiding behind was suddenly ripped from the ground, thrown aside by the enraged Gremoblin. Will lost his grip on Dipper as they both inexplicably went flying, landing away from one another. 

Dipper had plowed into the snow side-first, and could see the Gremoblin perfectly at the angle he was lying at. The monster glanced between him and where he presumed Will had landed, groaning in pain some distance away.

Finally, it locked its glowing eyes onto Dipper and snarled, ambling slowly forward, apparently self-assured of catching him.

"ST-ST-STAY A-AWAY FR-FROM H-HIM!!" Will limped into view, getting between Dipper and the enraged Gremoblin. 

Dipper felt a resounding chill when he realized that Wills' hands were encased in blue fire. 

The Gremoblin swiped at the teen, and Will dodged clumsily. His muffled cry as he hit the snow only spurred the monster on, as it lashed out with both sets if long claws at his downed form. Will swiped at it with one fire-wreathed hand, and it howled in pain, backing away clutching its arm as Will struggled to his feet and advanced on it. 

" **NO MORE!** " the teen roared, a supernatural depth and echo to his voice, chillingly similar to Ciphers'. " **LEAVE US ALONE! I WILL FIGHT YOU, AND YOU WILL BE _DEAD_  IN THE END, _DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!!_** "

Dipper would've flinched if he could. Would've gotten up and run the heck out of there at once. But, (perhaps not _too_ ) surprisingly, the Gremoblin didn't attack right away. It hesitated, glancing towards Dipper and the back to the demonic human in its way.

Will used the beasts hesitance to his immediate advantage, lunging at it and attacking with cyan flames. The creature howled in pain again, and after swiping at Will several times with no obvious affect, fled. Will chased after it, yelling furious.

"W-wait! Will! WILL!!" Dipper shouted. Despite him still being the enemy, being alone in the dark and cold wasn't very appealing, either. 

Will was still crashing through the brush after the Gremoblin, almost out of sight. But he skid to a halt, and turned back. Despite Wendy's brief and admittedly vague description, it was still a terrifying shock to see Will like this. Fire flickering and burning with sharp, but quiet crackling sounds around his clenched fists. Teeth that had become razor-sharp and beastly in visage, clenched tightly together (with pain? Stubbornness? Anger? Probably the latter two). And his eyes, pupils slitted within the crimson red and golden yellow, searching his surroundings until they landed on Dipper.

Will lost some of his enraged look, concern immediately more visible as he sprinted over as fast as he could. " **Brownie T-t-two!** " the depth had lessened, the strange echo gone completely. It was much less terrifying than his screaming at the Gremoblin. He reached the younger boy and crouched next to him. " **Y-you're hurt.** " Will glanced at his hands, before full-on glaring at them. The flames on his hands shrank, contained to sparse flickering around his fingertips.

Dipper blinked back in surprise at the sudden change in demeanor, still in shock over the fact that stood out above the others. "Y-you saved me." Dipper stuttered, still in disbelief. Whatever the reason, Will had rescued him from the Gremoblin when he was hampered by his injured leg and most likely freezing to death.

Will sighed, rubbing at his forehead with his palm. " **R-right, _yes_ , I saved you. F-for your s-sister, not m-me.**" he gently lifted Dipper from the ground, propping him up enough to examine the wound on his forearm. He'd barely noticed it until now.

The tiny flames that were still alive around Wills' fingers tickled, in a softly cold way. Clearly, Will had figured out how to hurt the Gremoblin with the larger fires, but pulled back so as to keep from harming Dipper. But then, why didn't he put out the flames entirely?

When Dipper voiced his question, Will sighed. " **I-I don't think I c-c-can without completely sh-shutting down my . . . _powers_." he said the last word through grit teeth. "And I-I'm pretty s-s-sure it's the only thing k-keeping me upright as of now.** "

Dipper examined Will a little closer as the teen examined the injury. He definitely appeared a bit better than he had earlier. His lips were slowly regaining their color and his skin wasn't quite so pale. The Gremoblins claws had made several ragged tears in his clothes, but he seemed free of any scratches. 

" **O-k-kay, let's try s-s-something . . .** " Will muttered, propping Dipper up the best he could against a tree.

"H-hey, what are you doing?!" Dipper demanded, immediately worried that something horrible was about to happen.

Will grunted. " **R-relax, Brownie Two. I-I said I was s-s-saving ya, and I m-meant it.** " he started rubbing his hands together, and the blue fire sparked and crackled, almost melting into something that wasn't quite fire or water. " **A-and it's no good ch-chasing off that beastie if ya die 'cause ya bled out or can't get b-back home.** " Expression pained, sweat starting to drip down his face, Will stuck out his tongue as he concentrated solely on the energy between his fingers. Slowly, he lowered his glowing blue hands onto Dippers' hurt forearm.

Dipper shouted reflexively, but there was very little pain. Mostly a warm tingling sensation, a slight burning as the wound closed up, and then it was done.

Will helped Dipper sit up on his own before groaning in pain and collapsing on his side, the blue flames flickering weakly before dying out in his hands.

Dipper stared at him, jaw dropped. He could move again! Somehow, Will had fixed it! "D-did you actually just . . ?" he asked slowly, unsure if the teen was awake. 

Will slowly, laboriously opened his eyes to look at Dipper with a pain-filled gaze. Several of the tears in his clothes were oddly wet, and sticking to his sides. "Y-yeah . . ." he rasped, his voice back to normal, but greatly weakened. "I-I-I d-did . . ." 

Slowly, Dipper stood, testing his motor functions, trying to see if anything was broken. Aside from some bruises from the landing, he seemed fine. He looked back down at Will, an entirely new and scary outlook on the situation taking hold in his mind. 

"W-w-well?" Will suddenly grunted, blinking sluggishly up at him. "G-go. Go b-back h-home. T-to you s-s-sister." 

Dipper hesitated, then crouched next to him. "No, man." He lightly patted Wills' shoulder. "You're coming back with me. I. . . .get it now. You have a good heart beneath. . .um," he broke off awkwardly

"Th-the s-s-sarcasm and sp-spooky m-magic?" Will offered, staring up at Dipper. His teeth had shifted back to normal, and his eyes were quickly following suit.

"Uhm, yeah, heh. Come on," Dipper grasped his arm and trued to pull him upright. "We have to get home."

Will grunted in pain. "C-can't. H-hurt." 

Dipper grit his teeth. "Cone on, Will. We're getting out of here!" He grabbed him under the shoulders and started dragging him through the snow with all his thirteen-year-old strength. "Why'd you leave, anyway?" Trying to keep him talking. If he was talking, he was awake. Dipper was pretty sure he'd read somewhere that falling asleep in the cold killed you.

Will sighed. "F-fine."

 

* * *

 

_Slowly, slowly, he awoke. Nestled in a soft warmth that he was slowly memorizing as blankets on the bed he occupied every night since they'd taken him in. For an indeterminate amount of time, he simply lay there, content to lie in the warm, dark cocoon. Something didn’t feel right, however._

_A bit of memory trickled in from some dark corner of his mind - **he was shouting at Brownie One and Red. Brownie was hiding behind the elder girl, gazing at him in fear, while Red was watching him, waiting for him to advance on them** \- then another, and another._

_His hands catching flame, the scream that had forced itself out of his throat, fuzzy vision, aching jaw, a hundred thoughts scrambling and tangling in his head as he’d tried to figure out **what was going on, why are my hands on fire?! Why aren’t I getting burned, who’s screaming? What is going on??!**_

_Will sat up quickly, scanning the room. No one else was in there with him. The room was dark, the lights off and the sunlight waning - or was it slowly waxing? He wasn’t sure. He was preoccupied with the thoughts swirling in his head, like a handful of snow on the wind._

_Scattered, fragile, and cold, chilling him despite the warmth of the blankets._

_Another glance around the room. Searching. Ah-ha! There they were. His old clothes - tattered jeans, weatherworn black hoodie that featured a crimson brickwork pattern and single golden eye on the hood, ratty yellow t-shirt - were folded neatly on the dresser. The closet door was shut as usual, as was the window. The bedroom door -_

_Will stopped, and squinted slightly. Someone had taped up a piece of paper to the door. In bold red letters read, “REMEMBER; YOU’RE STUCK HERE FOREVER - stan”_

_Cold, frigid cold struck him, sinking into his bones. Will stared at the lettering, then felt something spark up inside of him. He refused to call it anger; more like worn-down stubbornness._

_Untangling himself from the blankets, he got up and changed into his own clothes, leaving the borrowed ones on the bed. He hunted around the room until he’d found a pen. He scribbled the single, most defiant word he could think of onto the sign, dropped the pen, and glanced at the window._

_The door was undoubtedly locked. They meant to trap him here . . . they all hated him. It’d all been some sort of charade, meant to test something perhaps, or simply to make his imprisonment more unbearable. Well, he refused, thank you very much. If they hated him so bad, they could’ve left him in the snow the first time._

_Unlatching the window, he shoved it open. He couldn’t help his slight shudder as the cold air cut right through his too-thin clothes. He climbed onto the sill and clutched it with both hands, slowly lowering himself down as far as he could go. Once he was dangling from the two-story window, he closed his eyes and let go._

_The snow cushioned his fall. Sorta. When he rose to his feet, his right leg buckled beneath him as a sharp pain lanced up his leg. Holding back a cry of pained surprise, he steeled himself, stood, and hobbled away from the house. Away from the people, away from everything. Well . . . perhaps not everything. There was only one thing for him to go towards, now. And he hoped it would be the last thing. He thought back to how he first came to in this painful, cold reality._

_**Sprawled across the snow, so cold that he could barely move for a time. Instinctively, almost, he sought out the town, and it's people. He caused people to flee, and others were hostile to him. And those that hadn't been, at this house. . . .** _

_He glanced up at it, then away, shutting his eyes tightly. "No more lies . . . no more people trying to hurt me by pretending to like me." He turned, silently banishing all memories of kinder moments._

_But one snuck its way to the forefront without his permission. Brownie One, hugging him tight, her worried face staring up at him. Even after his no-doubt threatening words and fiery hands, she'd kept up the act . . . she seemed to care. he winced, then shook the memory from his mind._

_He hobbled, silently, into the woods._


End file.
